It's getting to be that time where the BD and I are making plans for the new year already. Nothing too major. Trips to see shows, mostly. Talking about what festivals we might like to see this summer depending on what his work schedule is like. And with these discussions my mind begins to race at the endless possibilities of travel adventures for 2014. But how can I top 2013? My first time across the Atlantic! It can be done. Next year starts off with some small town prairie adventures with friends new and old.
So along these lines of travel, movement, transportation....I had an epiphany at 3am this morning. It wasn't prompted by my creative brain. It was prompted by the fact that Gershwin was restless and pacing the house waiting an invite to sleep on our bed. The one downfall to having hardwood in our house; you can hear the dogs pace restlessly in the middle of the night. I invited him to bed and he took over my half, so I was ousted along with Luke to the guest bed. Golden jerkface. Anyhow, I figured out what was going to go on the nice 30x30 inch canvas I bought the other day:

A painting about Paddington Station in London!

So far it's just an outline. I told myself that is as much as I am allowed to get done on it tonight. I've been in the studio off and on today since 8am. Drawing this out reminded me of the perspective drawing exercise we did in our high school hallways in Art 10. I loved that exercise because we worked with horizon lines and vanishing points and when the drawing started coming together it was a pretty neat thing to see. Unlike my brief drafting days in college; same use of horizon lines and vanishing points, only you couldn't just draw the object to look 3D.....oh no! You needed to be able to take accurate measurements off the drawings so you could build the prop or set piece and get the right dimensions from the drawing. Eat my friggin' shorts....the drawing ended up looking ridiculous (to me) when it was done correctly. Bah! I am not a draftsman. Clearly. I can think of much better uses for rulers and t-squares...but I think that is another post entirely.

Then I finished this little guy the other day:

'hoar frost on trees'

mixed media on canvas, 8" x 16"

$160

Then I painted something for the BD and I. It's criminal that Luke has been a part of our pack now for nearly 2 years and we had NO painting of him. Now we do!

'luke on the couch'

mixed media on birch panel, 8" x 10"

NFS

Then I started these guys. At the top we have a weird monkey with cat paws creeping into the frame, to the bottom left there is a close up of dog's nose with lights hanging overhead, and to the bottom right is a french bulldog sticking his tongue out at us. These go with the 3 animal pieces I just finished. I'll post them all when they are done.

Now it's time for a break from the studio. Some yoga. Some tea. Some knitting in bed.